Beyond Appearances
by tempybren
Summary: Part of a mission which is crucial for their success, Hermione is in the middle of a dangerous ploy. No longer the bookish Hermione Granger, she has now been transformed into the stunning Ally McBeal, a transfer student into Slytherin. But plans never work out as planned, and Hermione faces more than a few surprises, mainly in the form of Draco Malfoy. Follows after HBP
1. Chapter 1

**The idea of Hermione being a spy, and a few ideas in the first chapter are taken from the French based on the French fanfic '****Au delà des apparences'**** , Most of the characterisation and story is mine.**

_A conflicted heart feeds on doubt, confusion. It will make you question your path. Your tactics. Your motives. When you stare ahead and darkness is all you see, only reason and determination can pull you back from the abyss._

Chapter 1

Hermione buried her head in her hands. Sitting cross-legged on the bare ground, the girl with chocolate eyes remembered the request of Minerva McGonagall. She knew it would be tough. She has been more than aware of that ever she has accepted the request.

The forest was quiet. The September sun gently filtered through the branches.

Suddenly, a branch fell to the ground next to her, breaking Hermione from her reverie. Blinking twice at the sun, she cast a silent _Tempus*_ to figure out the time: noon. Minerva McGonagall was not late. Still, instead of feeling reassured by the oncoming presence of her mentor, Hermione was vexed by the approaching figure for being on time.

For once, Hermione Granger, the queen of punctuality, resented someone being on time.

"Are you ready?" asked Professor McGonagall.

The girl nodded, with a quiet show of confidence she most certainly did not feel. She tried to gather her Gryffindor courage, to squash the overpowering doubts racing her mind. _And__if the plan__fails?__If__Minerva__could not__turn her__?_ No. No. She tried to calm down, but her pounding heart only emphasized the futility of her efforts.

"You're sure about this, Miss Granger? Professor McGonagall asked her one last time. "You know the risks you run, this change could be very destabilizing ... "

"I know what I'm doing Professor. Nothing will make me change my mind. "

"Very well."

McGonagall concentrated. She raised her hands above Hermione's head and whispered the spell. _Verto*_.

Hermione felt warmth flooding through her body. She felt the weight of her hair lighten. The whole thing only lasted a few seconds, and then she opened her eyes.

Minerva McGonagall handed her a small mirror. With trembling hands, the girl grabbed it. But she could not look into it. This would be the final acknowledgement of her decision; she knew that. And so, she could not dare. But finally duty overcame fear, and she looked at her reflection.

Her nose was shorter. Her skin was ivory. Her mouth was red and luscious. Her teeth whiter and aligned, _perfect_. The brown and matted mass which was once her hair was transformed into wavy black, silky and smooth, but the curls stayed. And her eyes, what about those doe eyes? Well, she was glad they stayed the same. Some similarity was reassuring. The girl, on the whole, however, was nothing like Hermione Granger. She looked at her hands, fingers so long and so thin.

_I am Snow White... Or the wicked witch …._ thought Hermione with a bitter, twisted smile.

Hermione Granger had to give up her identity. It was difficult. But necessary. She accepted it. She could not give up. New Hermione was beautiful, but more importantly, a formidable weapon.

"How long?" whispered Hermione.

"About two months. I cannot be more specific. You have chosen your story?"

"Yes, Professor. I'm Ally McBeal*. I am from Durmstrang, but was sent to Hogwarts to join Slytherin in order to improve my magic. I'm fairly reserved, slightly bossy, I like to make friends and think little about work, unless it has something to do with Dark Magic, of course."

"And your true mission, the one only you and me are aware of?" continued the professor.

"I'm at Hogwarts to make friends with the Slytherins. To deceive them into inviting me to Malfoy Manor, where Voldemort is located, so I can kill him. But Harry and Ron, what do they know? "

"They believe you are with your parents in Australia. They do not know the truth, because if they did, they would not let you do it.", answered Professor McGonagall.

Hermione looked one last time at her new face in the mirror and could not help but see the tear on her cheek.

Now, her days were numbered.

*** The spell 'Tempus' is taken from the fanfic 'The Problem with Purity'**

***Ally McBeal is a lawyer from the drama Ally McBeal. It's pretty old (my uncle introduced it to me!) She is truly brilliant. **

***The spell Verto has been taken from Google Translate!**

**The first couple of chapters don't have much interaction between Draco and Hermione, but I promise, there will be a lot more scenes between Draco and Hermione. **

**R&R please!**


	2. Chapter 2: The Arrival

**Forgot to add a disclaimer on the previous chapter, so:**

**The characters and Harry Potter obviously belong to J. K. Rowling. **

_For some, commitment is like faith. A chosen devotion to another person or an intangible ideal. But commitment also has a shadow side, a darker drive that constantly asks the question, 'How far am I willing to go?'_

Chapter 2: The Arrival

The month of September arrived with a promise of cold weather, which certainly resembled Hermione's inner state. Hermione Granger stepped on the familiar Platform nine and three quarters, and saw the train she had taken so often, the Hogwarts Express. But everything was different now. The train was still cascading its white smoke, and it was still the same colour, the cheerful, bright red, it had always been. But today was different. Hermione was different. Hermione wasn't going to Hogwarts this year to meet her friends, discuss her summer, or to drown herself in her studies and the good natured complaints of Harry or Ron.

No. Not this year.

This summer, she would have nothing to tell anyone. She could not see Ginny and Neville. Not that it mattered. She could not tell them about her terrible summer anyway, which she spent learning black magic, and trying to concealing her character. No. She wasn't learning how to conceal it, as much as she tried to forget it. Hermione could no longer be the resident, insufferable know-it-all, with her hand raised throughout the entire lesson; now she had to be a Slytherin: reserved and subtle, but with a hint of danger and darkness all the same.

The girl boarded the train with the others, but amidst the groups of chattering students, Hermione felt a fresh wave of loneliness hit her. Normally, she would try to get to her fellow Gryffindors as soon as possible. But today, she could afford to even look at them. Instead, she turned and walked towards the Slytherin compartment.

The compartment was empty. _Thank Merlin for small mercies_. She sighed and sat down on a seat near the window. The beautiful scenery outside did not calm her, in fact, it only reminded Hermione of the long path she has chosen ... _too long_. She had to venture among the Slytherins. _More appealing prospects_, thought Hermione, and she nearly rolled her eyes.

The compartment door slid open suddenly and Hermione almost jumped. When she saw Malfoy enter with Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini, she thought he was going to insult her for being a Mudblood. As usual. But no. Draco Malfoy approached her and held out his hand.

_What the hell!_

"Welcome to Slytherin", said Draco Malfoy, his voice poised and elegant, the personification of Slytherin.

Hermione fell back into reality. She was no longer a Mudblood. She was Ally McBeal. A Slytherin. After a tiny second of hesitation, she shook hands with Malfoy. The girl could not help suppress a shudder when her hand touched his. It was the first time she touched him. Well, the first time she touched him without violent intentions on either side. She met his gray eyes, gray as the autumn sky. She smiled at the comparison. Malfoy was like autumn ... Hermione and especially hated this season.

"I make you laugh?" he asked, the mask of poise slipping, revealing a slightly angry voice.

Hermione's smile widened even more, but she quickly remembered her mission, and that stopped her from laughing right in the face of Malfoy. Something told her that would ruffle more than a few feathers.

"No," she whispered.

"That's more like it. I'm Draco Malfoy, and this her is Pansy, Blaise, Vincent and Gregory, and you are Ally McBeal, I think?"

The girl nodded and noticed Pansy looking at her down her nose. Too bad. At least something hasn't changed, even if it is only Pansy hating her…

She turned her attention to Malfoy, who was staring at her rather intently.

"Something wrong?" enquired Hermione, Malfoy's unblinking stare making her more uncomfortable than she would care to admit.

"No," whispered Malfoy, and strangely enough, it seemed a replica of her own denial just a few moments ago.

And he went, followed by his horrible friends. Once alone, Hermione buried her head into her hands. This seemed to be harder than her fears. _And that's saying something_.

_**oooo**_

The ride did not last long enough. Hermione found herself in front of the Great Hall a little too soon for her liking.

It was the same as her as memories, and as unbelievably enchanting as the first time she has seen it. A huge room with starlit ceiling, filled with candles and students. Again, nothing had changed, except for Hermione herself. The herd of students settled in eventually and Hermione sat down at the Slytherin table, her heart beating wildly again. She sat as far away from Malfoy and his friends as she could, although she was using the term 'friends' too liberally. _Really not the time to get into semantics Hermione_, she chided herself.

She had to get close to Malfoy. It was probably the most important element of the plan, and therefore, of course, she had to earn his trust. But Hermione has only just entered the Great Hall, and the term has barely begun, so she can do that later on. For now, she was just going to try to calm down, and try to think of something. It should not be that big a deal, seen as this was only her first day. She could pass her indifference, or rather avoidance, as being shy on her first day.

Still navigating her way through her thoughts, she looked at the teacher's table. The absence of Dumbledore's towering yet assuring presence was strikingly noticeable. Hermione would probably miss him the most. Carrow replaced Snape, and Snape replaced Dumbledore.  
Hermione masked the hatred flowing into her. Watching the traitorous murderer sit, where her esteemed Headmaster once sat was unbearable. He was not fit to sit in the place of a man like Dumbledore. Her brown eyes returned to her own table, scanning it briefly. Most of its occupants were staring at her, and then whispering to their neighbours. The situation was really disturbing, not to mention the fact that all the attention was making her extremely uncomfortable. Hermione never liked being the center of attention, and it has never been an issue before; the only time people noticed her was when she rambled on in lessons, and then she did not mind, because she too preoccupied with all her knowledge.

She risked a glance at the Gryffindor table; her eyes met Ginny's and she was destroyed by the hatred and contempt they emanated. She looked away. Only a few minutes in, and she was almost losing control of herself, which was something she really could not afford to do. However, the analyst in Hermione soon took over. Ginny could not know anything about Ally McBeal, so the explanation behind the intense hatred in the redhead's eyes was that it was solely because she was a Slytherin. Not for the first time, Hermione wished the rivalry between the houses was not so severe, as to inspire negativity of such magnitude.

Later, Snape announced the arrival of a new student and Hermione had to get up. _More attention, wonderful. _She received cheers from Slytherins and boos from the other houses. Hermione noticed that was the only one who did not applaud for her. _Malfoy b__eing his usual lovely self_. After what seemed like centuries, Hermione was finally shown her dorm in the dungeons, and as luck would have it, her bed was next to Pansy's.

Well, it's going to be a good night.

**Should I add a Head Boy/ Head Girl element to this? and of course, please review. **


	3. Chapter 3: The Arrival

**The characters of Harry Potter of course belong to J.K. Rowling.**

_In a crisis, you quickly find out who your real friends are. Tragedy and scandal, it seems, have a unique way of clarifying people's priorities… almost like magic. _

Chapter 3: The Arrival

Draco walked onto Platform nine and three quarters almost in a trance. Next to him, Blaise Zabini silently contemplated his friend, and both of them were equally unaware of the glances they were being shot by the girls; even those from other houses. Soon they were joined by Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy Parkinson and Daphne Greengrass, who greeted them cheerfully, causing Draco to break out of his reverie. He nodded shortly at his _'friends'_.

Friends. He has never had many of them, but last year made him realise that he only had one: Blaise. The rest were only wearing masks, staying at his side because of his status and wealth. Draco was not blind to the image he presented to the world. The image which was first created by his father's insistence of how a Malfoy should be, and then emphasised by their social circle. Last year, once he got branded, he saw something in addition to the respect and admiration he often found in people's eyes. _Well, from all the wonderful Pureblood families and bigoted Slytherins I am usually surrounded by._ He saw a hint of fear, and at first he liked it, but soon he began resenting that look as much as he resented the Dark Mark now.

As the year progressed, the pressure of Draco's task got the better of him, and when failure seemed near, only Blaise offered him some reassurance, although he stayed far away from the real task. No. Blaise was too level-headed and too rational to get branded. While he shared the usual Slytherin ambition, the Zabini family also provided him with a black and white code of wrong and right. Draco wished he had that, instead of the million shades of wrong which surrounded him ever since he was a child.

And the others… They seemed convinced of his failure as the much dreaded day approached, and abandoned him. Draco now knew they were only looking up to him now only because of his success. _Some success. It wasn't even mine._ But only a select few knew that he was rescued from an excruciating death by his Godfather. "_The fewer who know the better." echoed Severus' voice in his head. _

The familiar sound of the Hogwarts express broke Draco from his usual chain of thoughts. The loop which has been playing continuously in his mind since Dumbledore's death seemed unyielding. He boarded the train with the others, although the groups of students around him only made him feel more alone. Almost as if he read Draco's mind, Blaise put a hand on his shoulder. Taking a deep breath, Draco walked towards the Slytherin compartment with the others, although he knew he would soon have to leave to go the Prefect's meeting. _After all, I am Head Boy, which I completely deserve for my outstanding behaviour last yea_r, Draco thought, nearly rolling his eyes.

He opened their usual door, and was surprised to find a girl already sitting there. He was not running for the friendliest person in the year award, but Draco thought he knew everyone. Then he remembered Severus telling him about a transfer student from Durmstrang. Slowly, he approached her, and held out his hand.

"Welcome to Hogwarts", he said, and the girl seemed shocked, which was a strange reaction to exalt from a complete stranger, although her face had a familiar feel to it… He observed her more closely as she hesitantly placed her cool hand in his. She was pretty; he could not deny that. But somehow she was beautiful in a different way to all the others, it was more subtle, and he could actually see her skin, instead of the usual mask of make-up. Her lips too were natural, and…

He could see them curving up into a smile, something he wouldn't have minded, except he got the distinct feeling that she was laughing at him. Now, Draco was bred to be calm in all situations, but a stranger laughing at him was not something he could ignore…

"I make you laugh?" he asked, the mask of poise slipping, revealing a slightly angry voice.

Her lips widened even more for the smallest of seconds, and then something changed within her, and quickly she whispered her denial.

"That's more like it. I'm Draco Malfoy, and this here is Pansy, Blaise, Vincent and Gregory, and you are Ally McBeal, I think?"

While the new girl casually glanced at the others, Draco once again tried to figure out why she had an air of familiarity around her.

"Something wrong?" enquired the new girl, and he realised that he was staring at her, and quickly whispered a "No" but strangely enough, it seemed a replica of her own denial just a few moments ago.

And then he walked out of the compartment followed by others, but throughout his meeting, he could not get the black-haired witch out of his head.

_**Sdf**_

Although the meeting dragged on for what seemed liked hours, Draco was still unprepared to enter the Great Hall. One look at the teacher's table, and the careful composure he spent the summer building was alarmingly close to breaking. The incessant chatter around him irritated him more than it distracted him, but once again made him feel the void of having a circle of friends.

Soon, he saw his new point of interest, Ally McBeal, looking as alone as he felt, but she seemed to be having an internal debate; his curiosity level just heightened logarithmically. Well, someone had issues. She sat towards the edge of the table, and certainly wasn't making an effort to be social. In fact, she looked like she wanted to be as far away from the place as possible. Then she looked at the teacher's table, and he certainly did not miss the look of contempt of her face.

Well, well, well, this just gets more and more interesting…

And then, she turned around and looked at the Gryffindor, and the Gryffindors were, as always, glaring at the Slytherins, but little Miss McBeal somehow got really upset at those looks. Later, Snape introduced her, and she looked acutely uncomfortable while his house applauded for her, although he didn't, and the slight glance she gave him let him know that she has noted it. And later, as he bid farewell to Blaise and went away to his Head Boy chambers, Draco knew he would have a distraction in the form of Ally McBeal, and Merlin knew he needed all the distractions he can get.

To escape from, well, his guilt.

**So that was Draco's POV, and I know there hasn't been much dialogue so far, but I feel like we should understand where the characters stand first, before they interact. **


	4. Chapter 4: Reflections

_We all have secrets we keep locked away from the rest of the world. Friendships we pretend, relationships we hide. But worst of all is the love we never let show. The most dangerous secrets a person can bury are those we keep from ourselves._

Chapter 4: Reflections

When Hermione opened her eyes, it was still dark. She looked at her clock. Three in the morning. Too early. However, the girl had lost all desire to sleep. Carefully, she got up from the rather comfortable bed and pulled on a T-shirt and jeans. Reaching the end of the dormitory, she hesitated. As Professor McGonagall told her, Harry and Ron in their first year, it was strictly against Hogwarts rules to be wandering in the corridors after hours. _Not that it ever made a difference to us._ A fresh tide of memories hit her.

Memories where Harry was still by her side, and she could still dream of having a life with him. Memories where Harry was always by her side, to understand her problems, and smile at her compulsions. _Memories where I could never completely summon her Gryffindor courage to tell him how I really felt._

Something changed after their fifth year though, after she was hit by that curse from Dolohov; it was almost as if Harry was deliberately trying to distance himself from her. The Potions book only added to the tension between them, and suddenly, he was dating Ginny. Now, Hermione has always known that Ginny carried a torch for him, but she never felt that Harry completely reciprocated her feelings, even now. And Ron, well, he was always a little hard to be with, and without Harry, Hermione knew that even if she hasn't been transformed into Ally McBeal, she would still be quite alone.

Anyway, none of that mattered now. The only thing which mattered now was the mission which she was here to accomplish. And she picked up her resolve to finish the task she was given again.

She went out of her dorm and walked a bit in the hallway, not really knowing where to go. Her instinct summoned to return immediately to her room, lie down and wait for dawn. But she was still a Gryffindor at heart. Hermione wandered aimlessly in the dark corridors for half an hour. Finally, she came to a door. From what McGonagall had explained, this would be the Slytherin common room.

She opened the door softly and entered. _What the…_ The room was large, much bigger than the Gryffindor common room, and Hermione knew that there were fewer Slytherins than Gryffindors. _All things better for the Richie Rich royalty_. Green lights projected their shadows onto the ground and made the atmosphere somewhat disturbing. Hermione walked inside. Of course, there was no one inside. She fumbled with the cushions, and tested a few armchairs, which were, very comfortable. _Surprise, surprise_. The room was covered in green and silver, the colours of Slytherin. The room did not quite have the home- like feel of the Gryffindor common room, but still, Hermione had to grudgingly acknowledge, it was very elegant.

"So, the latest member of our house does not adhere to Carrow's curfew?" asked a smooth voice behind her, which, needless to say, made her jump a few feet into the air.

The girl whirled around and quickly sized up the intruder with apprehension.

"Zabini?" she gasped.

"Who else, McBeal, isn't it?"

She nodded while he approached her slowly, but of course elegantly. Hermione did not move, and despite her rapidly pounding heart, she maintained fairly neutral breathing. Zabini stepped closer. Still, she was nothing but a keen observer, and his sharp, well defined features did not escape her.

"Shouldn't you at least try to follow the rules McBeal? You are new student here. Shouldn't you be trying to make a good impression?" enquired Zabini.

Hermione, for her part, was trying to recall her encounters with Zabini from her past, which would counter the seemingly good-natured smile he had on his face. She came up blank. All she knew was that he seemed to be the only one in the Malfoy group who did not walk around throwing insults. And he seemed as nice as anyone was going to be in this place. Hermione quickly made up her mind, and it would only help her with her mission.

"What about you, Zabini? Shouldn't you be following school rules, seen as you are already an upstanding student of this school?" she fired back, but with a small smile of her own.

Chuckling, Zabini said "Guilty as charged. So, what do you think of Hogwarts so far then?" he asked, leading her to one of the armchairs.

Hermione launched into an evaluation of the architecture and systems she has encountered so far, while trying hard not to appear too knowledgeable. She found Zabini to be an attentive listener, and after being alone for the entire summer, it was pleasant to converse with someone on seemingly normal topics.

"Obviously, I still have a lot left to see…" finished Hermione.

"Maybe you should have a guide to show you around the first day?"

Surprised, Hermione asked: "Is that an offer, Zabini?"

"Most certainly, and you should call me Blaise if we're going to be friends." Zabini held out his hand.

Contrary to the apprehension she felt when she took Malfoy's hand, Hermione felt reassured when she put her hand in his. In fact, Hermione was telling the truth when she said:

"I'll look forward to it, but I should get going now. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Well, technically it's today, but I'll see you."

Hermione turned around, feeling much less than before.

0000

Hermione looked at herself in the mirror, still not completely in sync with her new appearance, although she was grateful Professor McGonagall has not made any drastic changes; things were hard enough now. She brushed her hair, which took a lot less effort and time now, and put on her uniform. And already, she was standing out from the other girls in her dorm, who were literally masking their faces with make-up. But it was the same with Lavender and her previous roommates. _If only they spent all this time to help out with the war effort. Although it was probably a good thing they weren't, seen as they would be on the other side…_

One of the girls in the room broke her from her thoughts.

"Hey, I am Emily. So, do you have a crush on a guy yet?"

_What a wonderful conversation starter. Just peachy…_

"Uh ... Not really" answered Hermione.

"Really?" Her other roommate asked, as though that just beyond the realm of possibility.

"Really." insisted Hermione, controlling the overpowering urge to roll her eyes at the line of questioning. _At least, Malfoy seemed to have a brain…_

That's when Pansy entered the conversation; the other two girls looked up at Pansy like Her Royal Majesty has just started speaking: "Do not think you are above everyone just because you are from Durmstrang. You have to tell us who you like. "

"Well, I would if I had an answer, but I don't," she insisted.

Pansy stared at Hermione for a long time, and Hermione refused to back down from the challenge and stared right back. Finally, after an infinitely long time, Pansy looked away and turned around. Just before going out of the room, Pansy said softly: "You should be careful not to attract enemies McBeal; otherwise you will regret it ... bitterly".

_That went well…_

0000

True to his word, Zabini was waiting for her outside the common room, and greeted her with a friendly smile.

"Good morning, Zabini."

"Blaise, McBeal," countered Zabini.

"You must call me Her… uh Ally then." Even though she covered up her mistake soon enough, Hermione could not help but tense at the slip, but Blaise seemed oblivious to it, and accepted her invitation to call her by her '_first name_'. _I have to be more careful_.

They walked to the Great Hall, and Blaise insisted that Hermione sat next to him. Right across him was Malfoy, but all he offered in recognition towards her was a brief glance from his grey eyes, although Zabini was _honoured_ with a full good morning. Throughout breakfast, none of them spoke much, but Hermione was getting curious glances from people across the Hall, and especially from Slytherin. Malfoy, of course, did not speak at all. _He just loves making life easy for me._

Soon, Carrow came around and gave them their timetables. Hermione was glad to see that she was taking all classes, except for Divination, because studying would her only familiar companion this year.

"That's a lot of classes, Ally." said Blaise.

She looked up to see him staring at her timetable intently; his timetable wasn't exactly empty, and Hermione remembered from previous years that Blaise was one of the best students in their year. She looked across at Malfoy, and saw that his timetable was just as full as hers. Well, he has always been her competition. Malfoy looked up and met her eyes. Turning back to Blaise, she said:

"I like to know about different things"

"Except for Divination and Muggle Studies?"

_Well, I am a Mudblood, and I have learnt a long time ago that Muggle Studies was as outdated, as it was inaccurate and useless, but I can't really tell you that…_

"Muggle Studies is, well, Muggle Studies, and I've never been a huge fan of staring aimlessly at crystal balls."

"Aimlessly, ouch. Looks like we have a non-believer here. Malfoy here doesn't believe in Divination either."

_Here we go, Hermione._

"Really?" She asked him, trying to smile.

"Yeah." answered Malfoy.

Okay, then…

Later, as they made their way to Potions, Zabini whispered in her ear, "Don't mind him, he doesn't talk much."

"Really, I thought he was going for 'Most talkative person of the year award."

As they smiled at each, what they did not notice was grey eyes staring intently towards them, wondering more about his best friend's sudden interest in the new girl.

**Again, I'm sorry that there hasn't been much interaction between Draco and Hermione, but I am still setting the scene. Next chapter is going to be Draco's POV again, but in the chapter after that, I promise that there will be lots of Draco/Hermione conversation and competition going on!**


	5. Chapter 5: Reflections

**Firstly, I apologise if there are any discrepancies between Draco's dreams and the sixth book. I'm currently away on holiday, so I couldn't refer to any of my books. Feel free to add corrections in the reviews section though, and I will modify the chapter accordingly!**

**Also, if anyone has any suggestions with regards to the Potions curriculum, or any other subjects, whether they are from books, or ones from your imagination, please write them in the reviews section. As I said before, I don't have the HP books with me, so this would be a great help! Thank you!**

_There's an old saying about those who can't remember the past being condemned to repeat it. But those of us who refuse to forget the past are condemned to relive it._

Chapter 5: Reflections

_The room of requirement was closing in on him. Surrounded by objects dating centuries back, Draco was trying to focus, trying to fulfil the duties which came with the Dark Mark. It's an honour… someone whispered, perhaps Aunt Bellatrix…_

_It was wet all around him, but there was a coppery smell in the air… He was in agony, and Potter was standing in front him, shocked realisation on his face, he was struggling, to get up, to stay conscious, to fight back, but all that came to him was blackness…_

_The air around him was sombre. Lightning struck around him, and the ominous sound of thunder was weighing him down. He felt strangled, scared, unprepared… breathless, he was soon about to attempt to kill a man whom he could not imagine he could harm… _

_A tower of power and strength fell off the Astronomy tower, he could not breathe, could not think…_

Draco sprang up on his bed, his t-shirt drenched with cold sweat. He looked at his clock. It was one 0' clock in the morning. The room of requirement has become the salient background in his dreams. _Dreams. Yeah, right. Let's try nightmares._ While it became his personal purgatory, it was also his hideout from the obscene expectations which closed in on him. And the nightmares have become a salient part of his life. Well, when he wasn't suffering from insomnia that was. It was a good thing that he had his own quarters, if not he would have probably woken up everyone else in his dorm. But it wasn't his concern for others; he could never imagine anyone seeing him at such a moment of weakness. _Imagine the shame it would bring on the family name. _

Draco got up from his bed and went outside. He looked at the moon from outside the dungeons for some time. The cloudless sky was beautifully illuminated by the sparkling stars. Suddenly, he remembered the story his mother used to tell him when he was a kid. She still believed that when people died they turned into stars, and looked down on us from the skies, to protect us and guide us. To say that he was sceptical about this would be an understatement. But even if it was true, he doubted that any one up there was bothered to guide and protect the Malfoys; hell, they were probably united in their efforts to guide others against the Malfoys. _Which we deserve._

He was in front of the library door without even realising he was walking up there. The library was his usual refuge when sleep completely escaped him, which was almost every night. Now, he was far from a book worm, but Draco was raised to understand the importance of knowledge, and there was something reassuring about it. Being the Head Boy, he had complete access to the library whenever he wished. He went into the Restricted Section, and picked out the book 'Maledictions Most Potent'. It was obvious why it was restricted, but Draco found it an interesting read. When Draco cast a Tempus some time later, it was half past four. After putting the book back on its shelf, Draco made his way back to his quarters, but on the way he noticed Blaise coming out of the common room.

"Why are you up already?" asked Draco.

"Not for the same reason why you are up." answered Blaise, with an understanding smile. Although he did not know about the nightmares, he knew a few things about Draco's life which would make him lose sleep.

"I should hope not."

"Yeah, I had to finish my essay for Slughorn, which almost made me go back to sleep."

"It wasn't that bad Blaise and we only had to write seven inches."

"Well, not all of us have the talent or knowledge of writing parchments and parchments on the dangers of using Blood Rubies in Healing Potions Draco. Anyway, I had some interesting company towards the end. Turns out Hogwarts has a new insomniac."

Draco raised an eyebrow, surprised that McBeal was out of bed at this time. "McBeal? Why was she up?"

"Yep. And I don't know."

"What do you mean, you don't know?"

"I didn't really ask. She seemed friendly enough though."

_Really? She didn't seem all that friendly to me; in fact, it felt like she was hiding something. Although he had to agree with Blaise in that she was interesting. _

With an almost inaudible bye from Draco, they both parted their ways.

0000

Draco has always been more of a night person than a morning person, and so, his urge to Crucio all the smiling, chattering students at the ungodly hour of eight was completely rational as far as he was concerned. In fact, he would be much happier if they had lessons at night, and slept in the morning instead…

With a slight frown on his face Draco sat down, and poured himself some pumpkin juice and grabbed a piece of toast. And then, as per his habit, he started counting. Today, he counted the number of people who were putting orange marmalade on their toast, and after counting the Slytherin and Ravenclaw tables, he looked at Hufflepuff. But then he looked back at the door, and saw Blaise walking in with McBeal, and they seemed pretty comfortable with each other, for people who only met yesterday. A little too comfortable. He quickly brushed that thought away, and was about to resume his counting, when he realised that he lost count. Now, if anything annoyed him that was losing count.

As Blaise sat across him, and insisted McBeal to sit next to him, Draco greeted his friend with the usual good morning, and looked at McBeal. She was looking exactly like yesterday, and equally unbothered about how she looked. Quickly he looked away, not too happy about his line of thoughts.

Soon, Carrow came around and gave them their timetables. Draco looked down at his, and was glad to see that it was ridiculously full. All those lessons would mean that he would have no free periods, and the less time he had, the less he would brood. He liked learning things anyway. Blaise's voice brought him back to the world.

He looked across and saw that McBeal's timetable was as full as his. Surprised he looked up and met her eyes, and was even more surprised to see that they were not completely brown as he first thought. It was almost as if they had a million specks of green within. But before he could analyse his discovery any further, McBeal turned away and echoed his own feelings about lessons.

"I like to know about different things"

"Except for Divination and Muggle Studies?" asked Blaise, and Draco was surprised at that, because most people, especially girls, either idiotically believed in all that bullshit, or just went for the subject because it was easy.

_Well, how hard could it be to stare at crystal ball aimlessly? _

"Muggle Studies is, well, Muggle Studies, and I've never been a huge fan of staring aimlessly at crystal balls." answered McBeal.

"Aimlessly, ouch. Looks like we have a non-believer here. Malfoy here doesn't believe in Divination either." _And we all remember my existence again._

"Really?" she asked him, trying to smile.

Draco was more than a little too disgruntled by the similarities between him and McBeal for him to be his articulate self. And the way she tried to smile, but failed miserably did not escape him, so he answered with a short affirmative. _Getting more and more interesting, Miss McBeal._

Later, as they made their way to Potions, he noticed Blaise whisper something into McBeal's ear. He couldn't quite gather what it was, but he certainly heard her response.

"Really, I thought he was going for 'Most talkative person of the year award."

As they smiled at each other, he observed them intently, feeling a strange pang in his chest about the way McBeal was smiling at Blaise.

**As I've mentioned in the previous chapter, there will be lots of Draco/ Hermione goodness in the next chapter, and please review and let me know how the story is doing so far. **

**Finally, thanks to all the people who have read the story so far!**


	6. Chapter 6: Wishes

**I have completely abandoned the plot of Atlantis, and it gives me great pleasure to say that this chapter has been entirely mine! Though, Harry Potter and its characters obviously belong to J.K. Rowling. I hope you enjoy it! **

_Destiny has two ways of crushing us - by refusing our wishes and by fulfilling them. _

_-Henri Frederic Amiel_

Chapter 6: Wishes

As soon as they entered the Potions classroom, Hermione was hit with more memories. But this time, instead of becoming sad, she became irritated. Firmly, she gathered her resolve to concentrate on the mission at hand, because wallowing about the past was not going to help anyone, and she did not have to try very hard, because Zabini and Malfoy were right behind her.

"Ally, come and sit with us." said Blaise, and Hermione turned around to see him gesturing towards the space next to him.

"Isn't someone sitting there already?" asked Hermione.

_I wish I could pretend for one day that I am Ally McBeal. I guess it's time to turn on the Drama Queen inside me_.

"Nope. It's just going to be me, Draco and you," Blaise said with a wink.

Rolling her eyes, Hermione sat between Blaise and Malfoy with a smile, which faltered she noticed Malfoy observing her stoically. His stormy grey eyes were devoid of expression, and she was shocked by that, because the people she was so used to being around were always expressive. But she could see the Slytherins were different. Even if she hasn't been around them much, she could see how reserved they were, and Malfoy was as Slytherin as they got. Suddenly, Hermione felt uncomfortable, and tore her eyes away from his, and looked around the room.

Slughorn was clearly not as picky as Snape. However, the class was still much smaller than any of their classes before. There were only twelve people, and that just went to show how many people found the subject too challenging and dropped it, because there were at least twice as many in the Gryffindor-Slytherin class last year. On the other hand, this year, they had all the houses put together. Grudgingly, Hermione herself had to admit last year that only those who got an O in their OWLs were successfully able to learn all the theory and go on to brew successful potions. Except for Harry, no thanks to the Half-Blood Prince. Merlin knew that all Hermione ever wanted was for Harry to be happy and successful, but not by the help of some maniac.

"Alright there, McBeal?"

A deep voice brought Hermione out of her stance, and Hermione was amazed to see that it was Malfoy. He was looking down at her curiously, and she stuttered out a yes.

"You just seemed a little lost." insisted Malfoy.

"It's nothing, I was just thinking about how the lesson would be."

Malfoy was about to say something in response, but Slughorn came in with a disgustingly large smile.

_Maybe Voldemort just sent him a jar of crystallised pineapple to re-establish their old camaraderie. _

"Welcome back to school, my dears. Another exciting year and I hope you are rearing to continue your studies in Potions. This year might be harder than the rest, but I assure you, it will also be your most memorable," Slughorn exclaimed happily, and Hermione was ready to go and hex him.

_You evil walrus. Sure, let's all just pretend that there isn't a war going on outside, which can end more than half of us, and be happy and merry with Potions. _

Now, Slughorn shifted his attention onto her, and announced:

"Ah, Hogwarts' latest member has an interest in in the old art of Potions. How delightful, my dear. If you can excuse an old name, and introduce yourself again dear."

"Uh, I'm Ally. Ally McBeal." _Bond. James Bond_, Hermione thought, almost giggling.

"Miss McBeal, how wonderful to have you join us. A transfer student from Durmstrang, am I correct?"

"Yes, sir." Hermione answered shortly, still not completely at ease with her new identity.

"Well, if I may be bold enough to say so, you have chosen quite delightful company to sit with, Miss McBeal. Mr Malfoy and Mr Zabini are one of the best students I have had the delight to teach in many years."

Hermione plastered a smile on her, and couldn't help but think: _That's because you haven't been teaching for a long time… _Everyone knew that Malfoy was favoured by Slughorn ever since the rather disastrous Slug Club party last year. So, Hermione wasn't surprised that he called Malfoy one of his best students, not to mention that Malfoy has always been rather gifted at Potions, although she would never admit that out loud.

"I am sure you will make a fine addition to our little group here!" Slughorn smiled at her again.

"Thank you, sir?" Hermione wasn't entirely sure how to respond, but Slughorn ignored the question mark in her response, and went back to the lesson.

"I understand that it must have been an eventful summer for all of you, but I hope you have all found the time to finish you essays on the composition of blood rubies and their general uses in Potions. I will be collecting those at the end of the lesson. Now, we will be focussing on some particular potions using blood rubies the first few weeks of this term." Smiling, _again_, Slughorn turned to Hermione and said "Of course Ally, if it takes a few lessons for you settle in and catch up, I completely understand. Don't pressure yourself too much."

His patronising tone almost completely destroyed Hermione's resolve to not be the '_insufferable know-it-all_' she always has been.

"First, let's see… Who can tell me what 'Dr Ubbly's Oblivious Unction' is?"

Hermione tried not to raise her hand. She really did. But a quick glance around the room showed her that no one had, and Malfoy was sitting next to her with a bored expression. Hermione was pretty sure he knew the answer, but she also knew that Malfoy only answered questions in Professor Snape's lessons. So, for the greater good, Hermione raised her hand.

An eyebrow raised, Slughorn asked Hermione to answer the question.

"Dr Ubbly's Oblivious Unction is a potion primarily known for its healing abilities. It's especially effective for wounds caused by thoughts, as the neurotransmitters in the brain are particularly receptive to its ingredients, especially the blood rubies in it."

There was pause of silence around the room. Hermione could feel everyone's eyes on her, and although she was used to it by now, she still blushed. Slughorn cleared his throat.

"Excellent, Miss McBeal. That was a brilliant answer. It seems like you sat on the right bench after all. Take twenty well deserved points to Slytherin."

What were looks of curiosity before now turned into looks of admiration from the Slytherins and glares from the others. Hermione, for her part, tried very hard not to smile, and she missed the look which Malfoy shot her. Slughorn was about to continue with his lesson, but something next to Hermione caught his eye. She tilted her face to the side to see what it was. It was Malfoy. His hand was lazily raised up, and he had a slight smirk on his face.

"Mr Malfoy?" asked Slughorn.

"About the ingredients, the neurotransmitters aren't the receptive to the blood rubies, in fact, they are a lot more receptive to the Acromantula venom added during the final stages of the potion." said Malfoy.

Slughorn slimed at him now, "Well done Mr Malfoy. You are correct. Ten points to Slytherin."

Malfoy looked at Hermione and said in a sing-song voice, "Sorry McBeal. Guess your little recitation there was wrong."

Immediately, Hermione felt incensed. All of her resolve at not answering questions wavered away, and she raised her own hand swiftly. Slughorn's smile increased if anything, as he urged Hermione to carry on.

"While it was first believed that the most potent ingredient in the potion was Acromantula venom, Dr Matthison's law of equilibriums states that the Acromantula venom's power is more or less subdued by the toxins in the Angel's trumpet. As a result, the blood rubies are the most potent ingredient in the potion." huffed Hermione.

Impossibly, Slughorn's smile widened.

"That is indeed correct Miss McBeal. Another ten points to Slytherin."

Now it was Hermione's turn to gloat.

"See. I wasn't wrong."

But instead of being angry, Malfoy somehow looked pleased, and smiled at her instead. _What is he doing? Coming up with plans to poison me?_ Before Hermione could contemplate it any further, Slughorn saying her name drew her away from her thoughts.

"Miss McBeal, because you seem so interested in this potion, you should enjoy our future lessons. Today, I would like you to work in pairs, and start working on the theory of this potion. You should begin with the general process, and then move on to most common errors made during the process. This should help you avoid them when you come to making them yourself."

Hermione decided to ask Blaise if he would like to be her partner, but before she could say anything, Malfoy interrupted her.

"Want to be partners McBeal? We could share our differing opinions?"

She thought for a second, and then she said yes. Then, she remembered Blaise.

"What about Blaise though?" she asked, turning around to face him.

"I am sure he will find someone to work with. Won't you Blaise?" said Malfoy with a small smirk.

"Well, if you insist Draco." Blaise answered with a smirk of his own, but Hermione felt that she hasn't completely understood the exchange between the boys.

0000

Despite Malfoy's suggestion that they would argue through the whole lesson, they mainly worked in comfortable silence. It was only towards the end that they diverted.

"You know, this isn't the only potion which heals wounds by thoughts." said Malfoy.

"No. But last I checked, this was the only potion which doesn't use Dark Magic." muttered Hermione, surprised that he would bring up the rather controversial potions.

"Surely, using Dark Magic is excusable if it heals you better, McBeal?"

"It's called Dark Magic, Malfoy, emphasis on the word 'dark'."

And so they bantered about the use of Dark Magic in potions, for supposedly 'good causes', and after a few minutes, Hermione realised that they weren't getting anywhere.

"I think we should agree to disagree" Hermione said with one of her first genuine smiles in a long time. And as walked out of the Potions classroom with Malfoy, she realised with a jolt that she had become Ally McBeal that lesson. What's that, the first wish which has come true all year? And to her surprise, it was much easier than she thought to get along with Malfoy.

Maybe her task wouldn't so difficult after all. Malfoy shook her out of her thoughts when he asked her if she was okay, and she as she smiled at him; getting close to him didn't seem oppressive anymore, but somewhere along the lesson, the mission went to the back of her mind.

**I know it doesn't have **_**lots and lots**_** of Hermione/Malfoy conversation, now that they are working together, there should be a lot more! **

**Thanks to everyone who has read the story so far, and please review and let me know what you think of it! Any suggestions would also be welcome!**


	7. Chapter 7: Illusions

_To successfully create an illusion, the first thing you need is trust. But to perfect an illusion, the false reality must appear as authentic as the one it hides. Careful attention must be paid to every detail. The slightest of imperfections can, like a pin to a balloon, burst the illusion . . . and the truth behind the illusion becomes revealed._

Chapter 7: Illusions

Draco stepped into the Potions classroom, still not sure what his stance should be towards McBeal. Sure, she made him curios, but there was something slightly off about her. Like she wasn't always quite there. Even during breakfast, there were expressions in her hazel eyes he couldn't discern. Still, Draco was inquisitive, and her timetable only heightened his interest. One thing was for sure, if he did decide to know more about her, he certainly wouldn't have to worry about not having the opportunity. She was in _all_ of his lessons, and that was strange coincidence.

As he sat down in his usual place, he could hear Zabini asking McBeal to sit next him.

"Isn't someone sitting there already?" asked McBeal.

"Nope. It's just going to be me, Draco and you," answered Blaise.

Draco didn't like Blaise's wink or McBeal's failing attempt at smothering her smile. Rolling her eyes, McBeal sat between him and Zabini. He caught her eyes, and was fascinated again by the array of colours in them. Experienced as he was in counting, even he couldn't count the millions of tiny specks in her eyes. Therefore, he decided that the best course of action would be to count the number of colours – burnt umber, sienna …

Suddenly, her expression changed, and he lost count, _again_. He looked away from her eyes, and was surprised to see that she seemed somewhat shocked, though what could shock her was beyond him.

_Great. I'll just add that to the list of mysteries surrounding Miss Ally McBeal. _

He couldn't continue his attempts at counting the colours in her eyes, or understanding the seemingly unrelated expressions on her face though, because she looked away from him, and started observing the class. Now, Draco was far from strutting pink flamingo* but he didn't like that she could turn away from him so easily. Maybe it was his increasing curiosity, or maybe it was his wounded pride, but either way, Draco Malfoy made up his mind. He couldn't be bothered with resisting the temptation anymore.

He would figure out the mystery that was Ally McBeal.

Confident but not entirely content with the connotations of his resolution, Draco focussed back on the subject of his speculation, who was looking around rather keenly. But then her expression changed, and now she was sad. A 'why' plagued Draco's mind, and tied up his decision firmly.

_No time like the present to start the illusion…_

"Alright there, McBeal?" asked Draco, trying hard to instigate a conversation.

When she looked at him, she looked surprised, no, amazed at the question, or him, or both. He wasn't quite sure. Realising the need to justify his question, he quickly added a:

"You just seemed a little lost."

"It's nothing, I was just thinking about how the lesson would be."

Liar. Whatever she was thinking about, he was sure it had nothing to do with the lesson. Nevertheless, he knew he couldn't call her a liar to her face.

_No. That wouldn't exactly be beneficial at creating a bond._

He was about to cast some of his Malfoy charm on McBeal,

Malfoy was about to say something in response, but Slughorn decided to enter at the exact same moment with his disgustingly large smile.

_Why the hell is he smiling so much? Because we are living in such happy times right now?_

"Welcome back to school, my dears. Another exciting year and I hope you are rearing to continue your studies in Potions. This year might be harder than the rest, but I assure you, it will also be your most memorable," Slughorn exclaimed happily, and Draco resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

Now, Slughorn looked towards their desk, and looked like a dog that just caught a bone.

"Ah, Hogwarts' latest member has an interest in in the old art of Potions. How delightful, my dear. If you can excuse an old man, and introduce yourself again dear."

"Uh, I'm Ally. Ally McBeal." There was nothing unusual about her response, but Draco noticed that her eyes lit up suddenly, and her lips twitched a little, as though she was laughing at an internal joke.

_What's funny now?_

"Miss McBeal, how wonderful to have you join us. A transfer student from Durmstrang, am I correct?"

"Yes, sir." Hermione answered shortly, now looking uncomfortable.

"Well, if I may be bold enough to say so, you have chosen quite delightful company to sit with, Miss McBeal. Mr Malfoy and Mr Zabini are one of the best students I have had the delight to teach in many years."

Now Draco actually rolled his eyes. While Potter was undoubtedly the apple of Slughorn's eye, Draco and Blaise at least became pears in comparison. And then he noticed McBeal's plastered smile.

"I am sure you will make a fine addition to our little group here!" Slughorn smiled at her again.

"Thank you, sir?" Slughorn seemed to be completely oblivious to the question in her answer.

_And now she is confused?_ Her apparent confusion only heightened his, and he would have pulled his hair out, if Malfoys ever did a thing like that, which, of course, they didn't. Meanwhile, Slughorn finally decided to end the pleasantries and get back to the lesson.

"I understand that it must have been an eventful summer for all of you, but I hope you have all found the time to finish you essays on the composition of blood rubies and their general uses in Potions. I will be collecting those at the end of the lesson. Now, we will be focussing on some particular potions using blood rubies the first few weeks of this term."

Smiling, _again_, Slughorn turned to McBeal and said "Of course Ally, if it takes a few lessons for you settle in and catch up, I completely understand. Don't pressure yourself too much."

_Or not._

Now if that wasn't patronising, Draco didn't know what was. And McBeal seemed to fighting an internal battle.

"First, let's see… Who can tell me what 'Dr Ubbly's Oblivious Unction' is?"

Draco was bored already. And McBeal seemed to fighting an internal battle when she glanced around the room, and then at him. Then, she seemed to have made up her mind, and raised her hand.

_Don't tell me Miss Mysterious is also Miss Goody Two-Shoes._

Slughorn seemed surprised too, but then McBeal stunned the entire class, figuratively of course.

"Dr Ubbly's Oblivious Unction is a potion primarily known for its healing abilities. It's especially effective for wounds caused by thoughts, as the neurotransmitters in the brain are particularly receptive to its ingredients, especially the blood rubies in it."

Draco actually understood the meaning of deafening silence. It was clear that McBeal impressed everyone, including him. When he looked at her, he could see her blushing but she was also pleased. But the way she recited the answer nagged him, because it was eerily familiar in the same way her features were. He pushed that feeling away for later analysis.

"Excellent, Miss McBeal. That was a brilliant answer. It seems like you sat on the right bench after all. Take twenty well deserved points to Slytherin."

What were looks of curiosity before now turned into looks of admiration from the Slytherins and glares from the others. Now McBeal was really struggling not to smile, and Draco saw the opportunity to slither in. Slughorn was about to continue with his lesson but his lazily raised hand stopped him.

"Mr Malfoy?" asked Slughorn.

Good or bad, he knew this would make an impression on McBeal.

"About the ingredients, the neurotransmitters aren't the receptive to the blood rubies, in fact, they are a lot more receptive to the Acromantula venom added during the final stages of the potion." he said.

Slughorn slimed at him now, "Well done Mr Malfoy. You are correct. Ten points to Slytherin."

_One would think you would improvise a little more on my correction._ But then he proceeded with his mission. He looked at McBeal and said in a sing-song voice, "Sorry McBeal. Guess your little recitation there was wrong."

Immediately, he could see her getting angry. She seemed to be having another internal conflict, but made up her mind rather quickly. Slughorn's smile increased if anything and he urged McBeal to carry on.

"While it was first believed that the most potent ingredient in the potion was Acromantula venom, Dr Matthison's law of equilibriums states that the Acromantula venom's power is more or less subdued by the toxins in the Angel's trumpet. As a result, the blood rubies are the most potent ingredient in the potion." huffed McBeal.

Draco became a little more than impressed. Impossibly, Slughorn's smile widened.

"That is indeed correct Miss McBeal. Another ten points to Slytherin."

Now it was Hermione's turn to gloat.

"See. I wasn't wrong." McBeal insisted, and it was obvious what she expected his reaction would be. But he genuinely wasn't angry, in fact it has been a lot time since someone bothered to argue with him, and he rather enjoyed the defiance McBeal shot him. So instead of glaring at her as she clearly expected, he smiled at her. And he struggled not to let his smile turn into a smirk, but Slughorn, for a change, eased his struggle.

"Miss McBeal, because you seem so interested in this potion, you should enjoy our future lessons. Today, I would like you to work in pairs, and start working on the theory of this potion. You should begin with the general process, and then move on to most common errors made during the process. This should help you avoid them when you come to making them yourself."

Much to his annoyance, McBeal immediately turned towards Blaise, and he could clearly envisage what the following conversation would be. So before that could happen, Draco intervened.

"Want to be partners McBeal? We could share our differing opinions?" he offered, well more like forced her. But he was taken aback by how willingly she considered his proposal.

"What about Blaise though?" she asked, turning around to face him.

"I am sure he will find someone to work with. Won't you Blaise?" he answered, this time unable to control his smirk, and then turned around to look at Blaise, who, it seemed, had already seen through the illusion he wished to create.

_At least some of it. _

"Well, if you insist Draco." Blaise answered with a smirk of his own.

0000

Draco spent most of lesson trying to figure out the best way to approach McBeal. Indubitably, she was quite intelligent. And it was more difficult than he cared to admit, because Draco wasn't usually the one who started conversation. People around him were always more than happy to do that for him. Although the silence they worked in was more than comfortable, and they worked well together even in silence, he was shockingly keen to initiate a conversation. Something about the current paragraph they were reading struck him, and then he found his conversation starter.

"You know, this isn't the only potion which heals wounds by thoughts." he said.

"No. But last I checked, this was the only potion which doesn't use Dark Magic." muttered McBeal, and he knew that conversation would progress.

_Well, she seems to know things. _

"Surely, using Dark Magic is excusable if it heals you better, McBeal?"

"It's called Dark Magic, Malfoy, emphasis on the word 'dark'."

And she surprised Draco again with her side of argument. Surely not the type of argument someone from Durmstrang would be making. She just got stranger, _and more intriguing_.

And so they bantered about the use of Dark Magic in potions, for supposedly 'good causes', and after a few minutes, he realised they weren't getting anywhere.

"I think we should agree to disagree" McBeal said with a smile, and her eyes lit up again. This time, there was no conflicting turmoil on her face. In fact, she seemed to be completely in the present moment then, which was something new.

And they walked out of the Potions classroom, Malfoy realised that his desire to create an illusion has indeed succeeded, and he knew he established a base with McBeal, which he could develop now. He turned to ask McBeal if she was ready to go to their DADA classroom, when he caught that reminiscent look on her face. That jolted him back to earth. He clearly hadn't made as much progress as he would like, but he liked challenges.

_Not to mention, challenges where murdering people is not involved. _

So, he asked her if she was okay, and led her towards the DADA classroom.

**A friend of mine read this fanfic and told me that all the description I have given of eyes makes this story resemble Twilight. Let's just say he's not a huge fan of Twilight and neither am I. So I really need some reassurance right now that I am not turning this into a romantic sap (no offence to those who do like Twilight)! Hence, my request from you guys to review and give me some feedback.**

*** 'Strutting pink flamingoes' is a term from the poem Les Grands Seigneurs. **

**Thanks again to all the people who have read the story so far. And as always, I would really appreciate any pointers, so review please!**


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